General Question

Is it CRUEL to put a SHOCK-COLLAR on a barking dog?

Ok. I have 2 dogs, 1 that barks constantly!!!
I love them both.
I live in a community that has little tolerance
to loud noise past 10p.m.
I bought a bark prevention collar 2.5 years ago
and I’m hesitant to put it on her.
Is now the time?
Note: My dog is 6 years old
We did PetSmart puppy
and adult training
yes I have the clicker
I’m so unsure…
What would YOU do?

I say do what you think is right. Personally, I don’t think it’s cruel. Pain really does teach a lesson. It works well when there is a communication barrier. Like when I was a teenager and my dad was in his late thirties, for example.

i tried one, it worked but I felt horrible using it. When I left the house I’d take it off; one of the other dogs got it and chewed it up. Guess they told me. I’ve tried Petsmart, Citronella etc. Consistency is the key. I now use a muzzle, but only when my sheperd will NOT stop barking. I used it a few times and she looked at me like i was killing her. Now all I have to say is muzzle and she stops barking. A water bottle works well too…be consistent.
My sister swears by a bottle of pennies. The noise startles the dog and they shut up.
I intend to try that.
I’ve got 5 dogs; 2 terriers, 1 beagle, 1 golden and one sheperd. I’ve lived where I do for 16 years. Have had 2 complaints. One guy I just ignored. The other, most recent, was a new neighbor, who called animal control on me for having too many animals. I had to get a pet fanciers license. It was a nusiance, but the animal control ppl just make sure the animals are well cared for (they have more toys/treats that I do!). At any rate, I try to keep my dogs quiet…but that’s what dogs do to communicate…they bark. The animal control ppl told me barking is only considered a public nusciane if it’s for hours on end, ie the dog is outside all day/night. I let them bark, but when things get out of hand, out comes the water bottle.
I actually had one neighbor tell me, he liked knowing my dogs were watching out for strangers by barking!

I always wanted to put one of those on. Just thought it’d be amusing. Buncha guys sitting around wondering who’s gonna shock who. Sounds like a drinking game. Whoever does the shocking has to drink. LoL. and amusingly enough one of my favorite people is Johnny Knoxville

No person has the right to infringe on the rights of his neighbors by denying them their peace and quiet. The owner of any animal needs to be totally responsible for them, and that includes taking responsibility for keeping them quiet.

Peace and quiet? There is no peace and quiet where I Iive. Maybe I’ll sue the construction companies, the people who drive the freeway, The DWP for the noise of the transformers, etc. They violate my peace and quiet all the time.

My problem with barking dogs isn’t the noise. If they bark excessively I assume they are neglected/abused/in pain, etc.

Marina, you are correct. But those who do nothing and allow their pets to be noisy or destructive give a bad name to all of us who are willing to put in the effort to train our pets and be responsible neighbors.

I had a neighbor who kept two dogs in a pen the size of my bathroom for years and years. The dogs were nuts and barked all freaking night long. I spoke to the neighbor about it. I called animal control multiple times. Then I started calling the neighbor in the middle of the night every time his dogs woke me up. What is the point of having dogs if they live in a pen and have no more contact than throwing a bowl of food in once a day? I was so incredibly frustrated and infuriated that I think I would have killed those dogs if I had a chance. Don’t be an irresponsible pet owner. There are some suggestions here:

I think it is cruel, I don’t know how much time you have but try rewarding the positive behavior, tell them STOP! yell at them a little, even raise your hand at them, when they do stop, give them a treat, repeat this for a couple days, dogs learn quickly

@gerard185 you’ve been lucky, not all dogs learn quickly, esp those in a ‘pack’.
@syz Many ppl shouldn’t have dogs, just as many shouldn’t have kids. I will never understand why a person has a dog that they leave outside all day and night.
@greylady I want peace and quiet too…what about the neighbor’s noisey kids at 7 am on the weekends? Dogs bark; there’s no if’s ands or but’s about it. It is up to the owners to make sure it’s not for hours on end. My brood bark every single time they go outside, like telling everyone…‘here we are’...then they stop. It’s natural.

I got one when my neighbors complained when my dog was younger. It worked only when she was wearing the collar and of course, you can’t leave it on when you’re not home, so she never really learned anything from it except that she couldn’t bark when the collar was on. She was going to be an outside dog, but because of her barking and neighbor complaints she became an inside dog. One thing that helps only a little is to put scat mats by the doors and windows. She may still bark at the gardeners or people knocking on the door, but she no longer tries to chew up the door.

I come across that going outside yelling @ my dogs makes me look bad.
BE QUITE!...HEY DANIEL!...NO!
DANIEL (thats the dogs name) NO!
ENOUGH!...(and then followed up in a low-deep toned voice) DANIEL…
Can anyone picture themselves out side trying to over talk a WOOFING dog?
I AM really great w/ my poochies. We do dog park etc..etc…
Hwvr, This behavior makes me feel a bit crummy.
Not to mention others being around…We’ve all been there- Trying to tone it down a bit in front of spectators…And as for the dogs…They’re not buying it-
‘Til you get real with them.
NOOO BARRKING!!!...LOL
right?

Yes, my Westie – Oliver – is my “challenge” child. Never had a dog get into so much trouble.

@ maybe KB…I try to out “bark” my dogs too, till I realize I’m shouting and the neighbors down the block can probably hear me. Then I resort to the teeth clenched “wait till i come over there”. Not an attractive look, I might add. They eventually, after a few minutes, settle down. Except Oliver…